Rooted out of thin soil

a strong plant yet to fruit,

young in the ways of the world

and old in the ways of faith.

——

Prays and yearns for a vanishing childhood,

adrift with callous, greedy men, dollar focused

selling refugees for the highest payment.

Yanked out by his family and circumstances,

—-

sent to be planted afar somewhere else,

a place where he could be free and grow

and fruit in a plentiful way.

—-

Smuggled in plain sight or hidden,

packed like sardines for hours on end,

no toilet breaks, water or food but

beatings abound.

————————-

corrupt police in each and every nation,

making money from desperation

selling refugees, for the highest payment.

—

Who were they these smugglers

of precious loved and hungry people,

families trading their meagre resources

to facilitate their travelling from death

to terror, violation, false imprisonment?

—-

Children. Unfed. Unwashed. frightened,

forced into adulthood where kindness is rare.

—

Volunteers try, help with food and provisions,

for those blighted, thin bodies 

entering the darkness of the Calais Jungle.

where desperate attempts nightly, 

yield only broken branches.

—-

Thank God for those who care and try:

while Governments make their revisions

writing laws, encouraging racial hatred.

—

Don’t they know that safety, 

food and 

shelter

make people more kindly disposed?

Aren’t happy and healthy people 

the goodness desired by God?

—–

How do governments sleep when 

at every turn it is their police

that threaten and torture, 

deepening misery,

adding despair and trauma,

selling refugees for the highest payment?

——

The Newspapers tell a different story,

hiding the truth for a day of glory,

hurling abuse at the hopeless,

supporting Braverman and Sunak

in cruel determination to criminalise

those who’ve suffered multiple injustices.

—–

Open our eyes before its too late,

and let us #Refugeesewelcome

and let them make here their home.

Let them root and grow-

shedding upon us the slow fruit

of the Blessings of diversity.

p.s. for more information – read The Lightless Sky by Gulwali Passarlay